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Topic: This site is long overdue. (Read 16298 times)

You are reading the first of hopefully MANY posts on this message board, CoastGab.com.

My name is Michael Vandeven. I'm 28 years old. I started listening to Art Bell in the early 1990s back when Coast to Coast AM (or The Art Bell Show) was a nightly experience. For the first time, somebody was able to host a nightly show focused on paranormal subject matter while being at least slightly more entertaining than throat cancer.

It's always seemed ironic how such an interesting series of topics could put you to sleep if discussed by anybody but Art. I don't know what made him different, but whatever it was, nobody else could touch him. Art was funny in a strange way that could be appreciated both by teenage males and little old ladies. He talked about himself and his personal life. He didn't screen calls. He allowed bullshit guests on the air but challenged all of them (and embarrassed some of them).

Then Art's problems began. The surprise retirement on October 13, 1998 and his triumphant return a couple weeks later signaled the beginning of the end. Then on April 26, 2000, Art's estimated 22-million listeners received a "permanent" replacement host for the first time in the form of Mike Siegel. A disaster with shoes, Siegel presided over a quickly sinking ship with a panicked network begging Art to come back. Art agreed, and for about a year, we thought the worst was over. But the worst was yet to come.

George Noory permanently replaced Art Bell as the host of Coast to Coast AM on January 1, 2003. The world would never be the same.

I gave Noory a chance for about 2 years. I'm serious. I gave him a legitimate chance to grow on me and toward the end of that chance, I concluded I'm ignoring a number of things about this man in order to stay in touch with the genre.

First off, he doesn't seem genuine. At all. From his seemingly feigned "Aw, shucks!" demeanor to his apparent disinterest in the topics C2C covers, Noory seems to have been the worst possible choice. He isn't remarkably intelligent or academic, as evidenced by his non-sequitur meanderings and left-field conclusions on a nightly basis. The show is an embarrassment as one attempts to absorb a fascinating topic through a mine field of Noory's needless interruptions and childlike inquiries amid guests in whose academic company Noory can't even sneeze convincingly.

Noory's background is that of a news director. That's right. Coast to Coast AM is now hosted by a news director. And it feels like it. He speaks like a career news guy. He has the personality of a career news guy. Because of this bland, generic contribution by George, C2C is in my opinion just like every paranormal show out there; boring as all hell and hosted by somebody with no personality who fearfully and diligently screens his calls.

"What about the ratings, Michael?" you might ask. "The ratings are great." you say. And you might be right. I haven't denied this. However, when listening to the crop of people who call this show regularly in 2008, it's clear to me why this is; George has built a new audience. The callers today don't sound to me like the same demographic of people who called back in the 1990s when Art was in the big chair. Today, the C2C audience sounds less educated, more left-wing, and are comprised of a greater number of new-age "wicca types" who blather on and on about natural healing methods. Rather than talk about nuclear arms technology or the science behind the secrets of our universe, they prefer to talk about seeing 11:11 on their Chinese-made alarm clock and pontificating for five minutes over what that really could mean. They incessantly go on and on about the year 2012, and they are incapable of believing anything other than what Alex Jones tells them.

So why does this site exist? Obviously the afore mentioned grievances are a factor, but don't misunderstand. This is not intended to be a George Noory "hater" site. After all, as much as I love Art Bell's contribution to broadcasting, it was he who brought us this train wreck. To fall into that trap would be rather limiting and would essentially render this project a waste of time. Coastgab.com is intended as a meeting place for those who have enjoyed Coast to Coast AM over the years, regardless of which host they prefer. If you like Noory, say it. If he makes you want to murder your 5 small children in a Texas bathtub, say it. Argue with one another. Become friends. Hate each other. Love each other. It's all in line with the purpose behind this site. However, unlike other C2C fan boards (you know who they are), you won't be censored every time you let an air biscuit.

CoastGab.com is intended to be an enjoyable environment where members are given a loose leash. Enjoy, and spread the word. Let's turn this board into the authoritative fan board. As you can see, it has a long way to go.

I agree. My first exposure to C2C was when the Comet Hale-Bopp and Heaven's Gate events happened. The media brought up Art Bell and his show, C2C so I checked it out one night. I was hooked...

I prefer to hear Art vs George myself. Art seems to get better guests, his interaction with them more natural. Knows his tech and science which makes for a intelligent show. I'll listen to George but can't wait for Art's weekend shows.

As A Broadcaster for many Years ,the situation brought by Mr Bell of just quiting something of his creation and to re-aperar only when he feels like it,has brought mix feelings to my heart.Being one of those who started with him since day one ,the inclusion of Mr.Noory to the format of the show came like a bucket of cold water.Why?simple, the quality of the investigative report on air is just totaly 180 deegres away from the original intended broadcast.I dont have nothing bad to say about him(Mr.Noory),and i do respect the fact that he has continue the tradition of the show,but for my self and i others the work of Art,should be brought back.

The Job you and UFOship does is wonderfull,so two thumbs up.!

Spikegirl

Michael, thank you, thank you, thank you so much for this site. I have found a home away from home. It's funny you should mention throat cancer in your first post, George Noory has claimed on air to have cured throat cancer not once, but twice.

Max

I started listening in 95, when art quit the first time, things changed... the style changed...

then he quit again and again, each time the style got more and more disinterested... also I do believe that every time art left premiere put their claws into it and reigned with total control, as they are doing now.

Okay, okay, okay... we get it... George Noory is no Art Bell. And Jay Leno is no Johnny Carson either. The question is are there any fewer children being illigitimately conceived as a result of the change of hosts? I think not.

The world is indeed a Pandoras box, that when opened, in the words of Forrest Gump, "You never know what you're gonna get."Due to reasons many and varied Art has seen fit to take yet another leave of absense. Perhaps to "watch the tonight show"... (nudge nudge, wink wink, say no more say no more.) He still makes occasional time which is greatly appreciated by all loyal listeners.

In the meantime out of the afformentioned box pops George. Astute, inquisitive, full of jovial verbosity... but not Art.As it is written There is a time to every purpose under Heaven. We just happen to be living during the George Noory time. Compare it perhaps to the Carter years... kinda like scoth tape, nothing permanent, just sticky enough to hold the country together for a few years.

Listenership to C2C is up... and then there's Worker in the Light... and the Sci fi channel project... and the ever so slight hint of sexual undertones George uses when confronted with female callers of sultry voice... but I digress...

Where was I?... Oh yea... the point is, you have to give George his due. The ship is still in flight with more and more people boarding and the future is what we make it... third star to the right and straight on till morning... stiff upper lip and all that rot. Ours is not to wonder why and ask not what C2C can do for you... (which I believe may be the more unintentional reason for this site which ultimately can lead us to the higher question of)... but what can we do for C2C!

I will continue to listen to George... support him with any clever show ideas I can muster and continue to lose sleep and be even less productive on the following day. Rock on George!!! (It's that or listen to Clark Howard... I rest my case.)

Thanks for your continued C2C related vengeance Michael, as always it is appreciated.With this site we can get our vibratory juices flowing, as it were, and make C2C the show we all know and expect it to be! God bless America!(Paid for by supporters of Bratnbeer in '08 Farnsworth Huckabee treasuer)

Thank you Michael ...........want to thank you for the 24/7 streaming of Art's shows also........I don't have any mixed feelings about Art's coming and going, I just want him to come back in some capacity. Been listening to Art since May 30, 1994.

GN does have the occasional good guest on. That said, he actively runs away from good stories. My partner contacted him about doing a show about Nazi flying saucers and the Battle of Los Angeles, that he'd been bringing back to life in his first comic of his very own (after being a DC artist for over 15 years) and the only thing he could say was, #1: Can you get me Stan Lee? and #2: can you draw me as a superhero?

He eventuallly did the interview w/ local guy Clyde Lewis (Ground Zero Radio), and it was very cool, but GN seems much more in love w/ Hollywood than actually getting to the bottom of the paranormal. For that, he earns the SUCK label.

George has claimed to have cured cancer in OTHER people. I forget one of the anecdotes, but the second one he said he was out at a restaurant with a friend of his who had throat caner. George said he put his hands on his friend's throat (he just had a feeling he should do that) and that his friend's cancer was cured. Oh, George is always telling whoppers like this. That's part of the reason I can't stand to listen to him. He has started to make my skin crawl with just the sound of his voice. Yet sadly, I like the paranormal and some of the guests, so I force myself to listen until I just can't anymore.

In the beginning, I gave him a chance. I must have listened for 2 or 3 years and little by little, I began to notice things about George that just got on my nerves, such as the time he admitted that he did not know that identical twins had to be of the same sex. Or that dogs evolved from wolves. Then there were the thousand and one times he cut off a guest to interject some out of left field comment. Lately, you can actually hear the stunned silence from the guest before they regain their composure and answer his innane questions.

He also seems to enjoy asking old ladies who call the show to tell him how wonderful he is to get out of bed and do things for him. He asked one of them to look out the window and tell him the weather. He argues with them if they tell him it's late or if they have difficulty getting around. He still wants them to indulge him. Very creepy. He even asked a caller one night to disturb his friends at 2 am to ask a trivia question. George had open lines and he asked a caller what movie a certain line was from. The caller had no idea, so George said it was alright for him to call someone. The calller said he lived in the northeast and it was 2 am. George said to call his friends anyway and tell them that he is on the air with George Noory. Noory is so full of himself it is appalling. I am not surprised that he could not be bothered to interview a potentially interesting guest (see post by Sillydog re:comic book writer friend) and instead wanted the person to draw George as a superhero. That type of selfish narcisism is stock Noory.

This looks like an excellent place to hang my hat. I've been lost in the wilderness for quite a while now, detesting George's inane babble and chimney sweeper mustache, the patronizing tone, the psycho inflections, the manufactured gut chuckle. It's too much for even a bat-headed god to take.

In the beginning, I gave him a chance. I must have listened for 2 or 3 years and little by little, I began to notice things about George that just got on my nerves, such as the time he admitted that he did not know that identical twins had to be of the same sex. Or that dogs evolved from wolves. Then there were the thousand and one times he cut off a guest to interject some out of left field comment. Lately, you can actually hear the stunned silence from the guest before they regain their composure and answer his innane questions.

He also seems to enjoy asking old ladies who call the show to tell him how wonderful he is to get out of bed and do things for him. He asked one of them to look out the window and tell him the weather. He argues with them if they tell him it's late or if they have difficulty getting around. He still wants them to indulge him. Very creepy. He even asked a caller one night to disturb his friends at 2 am to ask a trivia question. George had open lines and he asked a caller what movie a certain line was from. The caller had no idea, so George said it was alright for him to call someone. The calller said he lived in the northeast and it was 2 am. George said to call his friends anyway and tell them that he is on the air with George Noory. Noory is so full of himself it is appalling. I am not surprised that he could not be bothered to interview a potentially interesting guest (see post by Sillydog re:comic book writer friend) and instead wanted the person to draw George as a superhero. That type of selfish narcisism is stock Noory.

Wow, stuff like this actually makes me want to listen to him to hear what kind of ridiculous, 'left field' stuff he's going to come up with. It is funny to hear guests just talk around some of his comments. Has anyone come up with the GN/"Coincidence" drinking game yet? I'm sure it'll be a classic. I felt the same way about him in the beginning, since I just became a regular listener a few years ago; I didn't think he was so bad. The concept of the show made up for a lot at that point, and Art was still on weekends.

I will continue to listen to George... support him with any clever show ideas I can muster and continue to lose sleep and be even less productive on the following day. Rock on George!!! (It's that or listen to Clark Howard... I rest my case.)

i've been meaning to get around to this for a long time... but i would listen to clark howard over george noory ANY DAY!! at least howard presents valuable information and is an expert in at least ONE field... something snoors can never say.

I have never participated in a blog or board like this. I'm not even sure I know how. But the subject matter is so refreshing I couldn't resist! What are the chances that 1.we can get Noory OFF the air-more vacations-2.ARt Bell ON the air more often-or at the very least some better options like: George Knapp & Ian Punnett are pretty good-waaaaaaay better than Noory.3.IMPROVE Noory's stupid 20 questions list he seems to use or get him to shut up and let the guest talk.???any odds on these???

Is there life after Noory? Can we get ARt back? Can we get Noory to stop with his stupid 20 questions and TRY to listen and stay ON topic, for once?

hi sherry. glad to have you around and i hope you'll become a regular.

i have come to the conclusion we won't get art back. at least not on a permanent basis. i've had my hopes dashed so many times by art's returns and subsequent departures that i can no longer allow myself to get excited by the notion of his ousting snoory. furthermore, i think after almost 6 years of noory's apparently acceptable mediocrity, premiere radio networks is happy with him and their ability to lead a malleable host by the hand as they please. tahiti village commercials, anyone?

is there life after noory? i think maybe not AFTER noory, but certainly DURING noory. if not for the blatantly dumb luck noory experienced by falling into the position art created and worked so hard to build, we would have never come together here as a community. maybe that's not such a big deal to some people, but i think it's pretty cool.

can you get noory to stop with his stupid questions? haha, i think not, and for the purpose of feeding my desire to gawk at a train wreck, i hope not.

Let's just say George dies. Hypothetically, who would take over? I think Art would. If that isn't a freaking sign for Art to return to C2C, I don't know what is. Plus, with the country as divided and fucked up as it is, I think it would feel like public service for Art.

Let's just say George dies. Hypothetically, who would take over? I think Art would. If that isn't a freaking sign for Art to return to C2C, I don't know what is. Plus, with the country as divided and fucked up as it is, I think it would feel like public service for Art.

hmm... i don't know. art might return for a bit, but i think the idea of art returning permanently is dead forever. perhaps if snoors goes albert dekker on us, the replacement would be ian... as it should have been a decade ago with the doomed inauguration of mike siegel.